By nearly all accounts, Thursday night’s MSNBC debate — the first two person debate of the entire primary cycle — started off with a bang and never let up.
Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders faced-off over the parameters of progressivism and the impropriety of Wall Street donations, to the simultaneous delight and dismay of Democrats seeking a substantive reprieve from the GOP clown show.
But for the other side, accustomed to food fights with Donald Trump as Triumph, The Insult Dog at center stage and squabbles between the candidates and the moderators overtaking any semblance of substantive debate, watching MSNBC’s Democratic debate was an exercise of torture:
Is this the debate version of kiss, marry, kill?
— Maegan Vazquez (@maeganvaz) February 5, 2016
Dems have a hard choice: Slimy opportunist who at least understands how the world works or a dangerously naive but sincere and decent guy.
— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) February 5, 2016
If Democrats lose the White House, this debate is just small sample of the civil war that will take place within the party.
— Nathan Gonzales (@nathanlgonzales) February 5, 2016
Four million socialists stayed home in 2004 and that's why Kerry lost.
— John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) February 5, 2016
Sanders trouble with geography flows straight from the idea that workers of the world must unite. Borders mean nothing!
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) February 5, 2016
Sanders believes in trade: your money for your life.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 5, 2016
Sanders and Clinton might as well play Mario Kart for the rest of this, "I will look into it" is going to be the big takeaway.
— Matt Ford (@fordm) February 5, 2016
Just ONCE I would like to hear a Democrat praise America for the work we've done to defeat discrimination. We are a GREAT, and Good people.
— Bo Snerdley (@BoSnerdley) February 5, 2016
There will be some fun general election campaign ads from this primary. https://t.co/Y0bDvjmtpi
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) February 5, 2016
The lines of attack the Dems used against Mitt are the blueprint for dismantling Hillary. They wanted class warfare? They got it.
— Comfortably Smug (@ComfortablySmug) February 5, 2016
Rachel Maddow embraces both Clinton and Sanders at end of debate. I don't think I've ever seen a moderator do that before.
— Brit Hume (@brithume) February 5, 2016
